• Co-President Jim Damren called the meeting to order with the ringing of our Rotary bell.
• Phil Rentz led us in reciting the 4-Way Test of the Things We Think Say or Do
• Ernst played the piano as we sang or tried to sing or Welcome Song and Home and We Sail the Ocean Blue from Pirates of Penzance.
• Thought of the Day: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill
• Welcome Guests: Our Speaker Alloys Nyakundi, MSP, Emmah’s Garden and Gary Horseman, President, Rotary Club of Woodstock VT
• Birthdays: None
• Wedding Anniversaries: None
• Lebanon Rotary Anniversaries: None
• Then it was time for Lunch
• Speaker: See story above for: Emmah’s Garden in Kenya, Alloys Nyakundi
• Book Presentation for the Kilton Library’s Children Collection in honor of our speaker, Alloys Nyakundi

The Library in the Woods

by Calvin Alexander Ramsey (Author), R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator). Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books of the Year

After a storm devastates the farmthat his parents have been renting, Junior moves with his family to Roxboro, North Carolina. The year is 1959, and the nine-year-old boy has to navigate the realities of the segregated South while adjusting to life in town. Instead of farming, his father works at the lumberyard, and his mother takes in laundry from the white people in town. Junior meets new friends who have a TV―and their own books! These new friends offer to take Junior to the library, and he’s surprised to discover that in a clearing in the forest, there’s a log cabin that houses a library for Black residents.

The library in the woods feels magical, giving Junior a sense of possibility and community. The books he checks out also help him uncover a secret he never knew about his father.

This fictional account is based on a real-life library that author Calvin Alexander Ramsey frequented as a child. Ramsey’s heartfelt text, accompanied by illustrations from award-winning artist R. Gregory Christie, celebrates family, libraries, and the resourcefulness of the Black community.

 Announcements, Other Club Business and Opportunities

• Charities Updates:  Phil Bush and Bill Chabot presented updates from the charities meeting.
  • Club Backdrop Banner in production – allocated up to $400 for banner.

• Concurrence Votes Required:
  • Nepal – Tabled until Marilyn Bedell can determine if this request could be covered by a Rotary Foundation Disaster Response Grant.
  • Tysea Orphanage request: We discussed the funding level.  Complicated.  Wait for email from Bill Chabot that will outline what is being proposed and instructions for voting.
  • Common Man For Ukraine: Recommend a $2,000 donation.  Bill Chabot will send out voting instructions.
• NEW - District POLIO PLUS CHALLENGE continues – Phil Rentz announced that between now and October 24th we will be collecting change, to support Rotary International's End Polio Now campaign.  Phil passed a change box to collect donations.  So far we have collected $320.78 including online donations and checks.
• WebEx and AV set up – Volunteers need to set up AV equipment while Marilyn Bedell is away from mid-January to mid-May. Let her know if you can help…as Bruce Bergeron said, you can be one of the AV cool kids like in High School…
• Riverside Park Cleanup on November 4^th…3-5 PM prior to the social gather of 6 Rotary Clubs at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center.
• Rotary District 7850 Fall Regional Learning Seminars

Our District's Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is being held on Saturday, November 7 from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM at the St. Johnsbury Academy in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

Many Rotarians have not been exposed to the great scope of Rotary around the world and have not considered how every Rotarian can gain skills necessary to move Rotary forward. RLI strongly believes that good Rotary Clubs evolve and change to help shape the future of Rotary International.  Curriculum Topics cover leadership styles, member engagement and mentoring, ethics and vocational service, strategic planning, public image, and an overview of the  Rotary Foundation.

Our District's Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is being held on Saturday, November 7 from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM at the St. Johnsbury Academy in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. See email sent to all Rotarians in District 7850 via ClubRunner. Please sign up today for RLI. The website is www.rlinea.org. More information is on the flyer. Please email me or call me at (802) 274-1681 if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you on November 7th in St. Johnsbury!  Questions? Talk to Ron or Marilyn Bedell 

• Rotary District 7850 Regional Meeing on 11/14 – So. Burlington, join Jim, Bruce, Phil and James. To go, register on the www.rotary7850.org web page
• Coop Food Drives – October 24 (now completed) and November 21 a the Centerra Coop.  Tim Guaraldi organizing and inviting our LHS Interactors to join us again this year. 

• Rotary Clubs of the Upper Valley Gathering at the Upper Valley Aquatics Center.  $20/person RSVPs  requested so enough food can be provided.  

• Knitting for Ukraine – Hannah Falcone announced that her mother is coordinating this event to provide warm, wool, knit hats for children in Ukraine at their sheep farm in Plainfield.  If you have questions, email falconefivesistersfarm@gmail.com  Deadline to drop off donations at Five Sisters Farm in Plainfield is November 12^th.

• Common Man for Ukraine Concert

Dear Friends,

We are happy to share with you an exciting musical event on Sunday, November 15th in Hanover. Join us for "Fascinating Rhythms", a concert/cabaret featuring American and Ukrainian music with Vira + Friends.

We hope to see you there to participate in extraordinary music, shared hope and healing. Proceeds will go to Common Man for Ukraine, for practical aid to Ukraine's children and families.

Warmly,

The Common Man for Ukraine team

Join us for an afternoon of classical and popular music by legendary American composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers and Stephen Schwartz alongside works by their Ukrainian counterparts. Get swept away by a 150 years of captivating melodies, superb harmonies and fascinating rhythms

November 15th ticket includes a reception following the concert. Students, children, refugees, recent immigrants, and anyone for whom the ticket price is an obstacle are welcome to select a free ticket. If you can't attend, you can still help Ukraine's children with a tax-deductible donation.

Click Here for Tickets

• Epilogos Update from  US Executive Director, Brooke Finnell

Hello all,

Today I had the pleasure of presenting the donation of the band instruments to the students in the Complejo Educativa. They were beyond thrilled! I've attached a (poor!) photo for a quick glimpse. The band is excellent, and the students are so passionate about participating. New instruments have been a dream, and now with your help they have them.

Saturday, I visited the robotics class to see their end of year presentations. It's impressive what they've learned since the beginning of the year. Many of the students are new to the program this year, and Javier is always trying to find unique ideas for them. One picture is a completely integrated house with sensors for lights, the main gate, smoke alarms, etc. and the other is a short video of storms in El Salvador. All of the components for that one were made with a 3D printer we provided a couple of years ago.

I will follow up with a comprehensive report, but I wanted to share this with you today.

Thank you for supporting the students - we all appreciate it.

Brooke

• Holiday Party and Famous Yankee Swap will be on December 9, 2026, in the Dwinell Room at Harvest Hill.  RSVP to Ron Bedell

It will soon be that time of year again.  Time for the Rotary Club of Lebanon to have a fun filled dinner and a Yankee Swap!

Date: December 9, 2026

Time: 5:30 till 9:00 or so

Cost: $40.00 Per Person

Menu: 

Appetizers

Cheese and Crackers, Vegetable Crudité with Dip, Rolls and Butters

Dinner

Salad, Carved Beef, Chicken Marsala, Vegetarian Option TBD, Butternut Squash - either Mashed or Roasted, Sauteed Green Beans, Roasted Red Potatoes, 

Dessert

TBD

Beverage

Coffee, Tea and Bottled Water. Feel free to bring you own Wine and Beer if so desired

Yankee Swap

Each person coming will bring a wrapped gift of something repurposed, or New Valued at $20.00.  For those of you that have not participated in a Yankee Swap, it goes like this. A number will be drawn from a bag. Each person starting with number one will pick a gift from the pile and open it.  The person with number two will choose a gift and open it.  They will then have the option of temporarily keeping the gift they chose or swapping it with the one that number one chose.  This will progress with each person swapping their gift with all the other gifts until the person with the last number completes their transaction.  Number one will then have a chance to swap their gift with any other gift.

Reservations

Send an e-mail to me at r.j.bedell@comcast.net.  with the number in your party or regrets so that I will not bother you with follow-ups.  All Corporate Members are invited as well as significant others and other guests.

Payment

Send a check to Angela Nelson, Rotary Club of Lebanon, P.O. Box 132, Lebanon, NH 03766-0132 

Thank you for considering the Holiday Party and I sincerely hope that we can look forward to seeing you there,

Ron Bedell & John Yacavone

• Happy Dollars

  • Bill Babineau was very close to Kenya on his African adventure with his family.  He had an amazing trip.

  • Will Koppenheffer was in Northern Africa with Ellen.  They toured and were amazed at the history of Egypt and Jordan.

  • Tim Guaraldi can't wait for the unsolicited cell phone candidate polling to STOP.

  • Hank Clarke continues to have adventures getting his and Carol's TSA renewal. The last trip they made to do this…they couldn't get Carol's fingerprints to work…so they will be going back once again.

  • Ernst Oidtmann amazed us with his sister, Alexandra's athletic accomplishments at the age of 75. She competes in triathlons.  The last one was October 18th in Sacramento.  The swim was 12 minutes with a 12 minute transition back to land; a 112 mile bike ride; and running a 26.2 mile marathon in 14 hours and 34 minutes.  A racer has to complete the course with in 17 hours. She was the fastest and oldest in her age range, and is now qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

  •  From last week: Bruce Pacht announced a concert:

Queen of Hearts Draw – Carol Keefe pulled the 8 of Spades…the hunt for the Queen continues.

Car Wash – Was won by  Marion Steiner

Thanks to all who were able to stay to the end of the meeting, we adjourned at 1:43 PM

Attendance:

Christina Annas, Bill Babineau, Marilyn Bedell, Ron Bedell,  Bruce Bergeron, Phil Bush, Dean Cashman, Bill Chabot,  Dave Clarenbach, Hank Clarke, Paul Coats, Steve Grant, Tim Guaraldi, Ahmad Haidari*, Andy Jones*, Carol Keeffe, Will Koppenheffer, Dustin Lester*, Christian McDonald, Ron Michaud, Dan Nash Ernst Oidtmann, Phil Rentz, Bill Secord, John Stalvey*, Marion Steiner, George Wenz, Steve Whitman*, Cal Wolfe, John Yacavone

Speaker: Alloys Nyakundi, Emmah's Garden

Preident's Picnic October 2026

A big thank you to Bruce and Holly for hosting us at their home!

One Profits Most Who Serves Best